#Oregon State upsets Oklahoma State in March Madness stunner

Loyola Chicago and Sister Jean getting back to Sweet 16 is a heartwarming story. Oral Roberts becoming the second 15-seed in tournament history to reach the second weekend is what makes March Madness so unpredictable. Syracuse and Buddy Boeheim pulling off back-to-back upsets was not expected.

Oregon State’s stunning stay in Indianapolis is as unlikely as any of them.

Ten days ago, the Beavers trailed UCLA by 16 points in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals. A loss would’ve ended their then-mediocre season. Instead, they rallied for a dramatic overtime victory, and they haven’t lost since. So much for that preseason poll that predicted them to finish last in their conference.

Sunday night, just four seasons removed from a five-win campaign, Oregon State ended Cade Cunningham and fourth-seeded Oklahoma State’s season, continuing this improbable run into the Sweet 16 with a commanding 80-70 Midwest Region second-round victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“I’m grateful for it,” senior guard Ethan Thompson said. “I just got a feeling that I don’t want it to stop.”

Oregon State (19-12), the 12th seed, will face No. 8 Loyola Chicago in the regional semifinals on Saturday or Sunday after winning for the eighth time in nine games. The two underdogs ruined what most experts had projected as a blockbuster matchup between Oklahoma State and Illinois, the No. 1 seed Loyola Chicago defeated earlier Sunday. Perhaps the biggest story of the tournament is the Pac-12’s success, with a 6-0 record.

“Maybe now we’ll get some damn respect,” Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. Oregon State, the sixth-place team in the league, last reached this stage of the tournament in 1982. The Midwest Region has been completely ripped apart, with No. 11 Syracuse also advancing. Second-seeded Houston is the lone favorite to survive. It’s rare for a power-conference school to be considered a Cinderella. But Oregon State fits that criteria as a team few expected to reach this point of the season.

“Call us whatever you want,” Tinkle said. “Believe me, I’ve been called all sorts of stuff. I could care less. We’re moving on to the Sweet 16.”

Thompson, and not the projected top pick in the NBA draft Cunningham, was the best guard on the floor, finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds. Maurice Calloo and Jarod Lucas each scored 15 points. Cunningham had 24 points on 6 of 20 shooting, five steals and three assists in what was almost certainly his final college game.

After walloping Tennessee in the first round, Oregon State led throughout, building an 18-point edge in the first half. It was a 14-point differential at halftime. Oklahoma State got within two midway through the second half and three in the final minutes, but the Beavers had an answer each time to keep this stunning turnaround going.

They dominated the glass, 55-33, and limited the Cowboys (21-9) to just 27 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent shooting from 3-point land. They also blocked 11 shots and hit 32 of 35 free throws, with Thompson a near-perfect 15-for-16. This didn’t feel like a fluke. Neither did the four wins over tournament teams before this.